


keep you like an oath

by spoopyy



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved
Genre: Angst, Couples Get Handcuffed for 24 Hours, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Worth It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 17:45:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11407398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spoopyy/pseuds/spoopyy
Summary: "I'm in love with you," Ryan says, desperate."No, you're in love with the views."





	keep you like an oath

**Author's Note:**

> i made up everything about all of the places these two go to. i also made up the usernames. i really was not expecting this to be so long, it kind of got away from me. i hope that me including worth it and the handcuff challenge don't drag the plot; i needed a segue into Ryan's realization and eventual angst. title is taken from fall out boy's "uma thurman". hope you enjoy!! crossposted from wattpad :)

“Come on, guys! It would be so funny! Think about how many views Unsolved would get!” Brent says with exasperation. He’s been trying to broach the topic for a while now, but Ryan doesn’t seem to be in the mood for suggestions tonight - which is fair, considering the fact that he’s been editing all day, but Brent is nothing if not persuasive.

It’s not like he’s trying to force Ryan into a relationship; in fact, he’s trying to make the co-hosts of Unsolved aware of how madly in love with each other they are, because only an idiot would deny that they have some kind of affection towards one another. Their chemistry and sexual tension has been driving Brent up a wall since Unsolved started, so really, he should be thanked for trying to get these two oblivious knuckleheads together.

“People loved Unsolved, though,” Ryan says, musing. He’s half listening because he’s more focused on editing, but eventually, his attention is pulled away from the video when Brent’s statement sinks in. “Just read the comments! A lot of viewers say that Unsolved is the best part of Buzzfeed.” Ryan finally swivels away from his video, thanks to his rolling chair. It feels good to be taking a break, albeit a small one, especially before such a big shoot.

Brent sighs. Ryan should get an award for Most Oblivious Employee. Hell, Brent will even pay for the trophy.

“Look, we’re already weeks behind schedule. Think of it as an apology for taking so long to release the season,” Brent says as a last pleading rationalization. He’s not above begging, but he’d rather not embarrass himself.

There’s silence for a moment, where no one says anything. Ryan seems to be seriously considering Brent’s suggestion, but he doesn’t look entirely swayed. Instead, he looks from Shane to Brent and back again, the cogs of his brain going through all the possible scenarios.

“I think it could be fun. Think about it, you could even change the intro. You could say, ‘This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we’re here to explore the offices of Buzzfeed as part of our ongoing investigation into the question: are your fan theories real?’ It’ll be a hit!” Shane says, slightly teasing but serious nonetheless. He too has stepped away from whatever he seems to be working on.

Ryan raises an eyebrow. “Are you saying that our office is haunted?” He knows it’s not, but it never hurts to be sure. “And I don’t sound like that.”

“Sure you don’t,” Shane says in that way of his that annoys Ryan to no end. Ryan rolls his eyes in response.

Brent smiles. “See, you guys get it! Just keep flirting like this and we will be at a million views in no time!”

Ryan sputters. “We weren’t even flirting just now! I was simply asking if this office is haunted, because if it is, I gotta go.”

Brent laughs. At least Ryan is finally coming around to the idea.

“Don’t worry, Ryan. If the office is haunted, I’m sure Brent won’t make you sleep here tonight,” Shane says, teasing. He throws an arm around Ryan’s shoulders, which Ryan shrugs off. Shane gives Ryan a fake pout.

“Yeah, you could sleep with Shane instead.” Brent has to narrowly dodge the crumpled up piece of paper that Ryan throws at him.

“Whatever. Let’s just go film this episode, okay?”

* * *

 

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we’re here at Crossroads Conservatory, a school that is rumored to be haunted,” Ryan says, sticking to his script. He and Shane are sitting in desks in an abandoned classroom on the outskirts of the city. It’s a little frightening, to be honest, especially because the swings are moving by themselves, even though there is no breeze to carry them into the air. Ryan tries, and fails, to suppress a shiver.

“In 1887, this was an all boys school, but it was a place of frequent murders. The young boys were subject to many horrors, and some say these deaths were the result of demons.” Ryan pauses to let that sink in, before delving more deeply into the history of the school. “Apparently, there were reports of children with quote ‘eyes so black, it was as if the whites didn’t exist anymore’ unquote, and some of these children had what seemed to be superhuman strength.”

“Wait, so you’re saying these kids were like, bodybuilders?” Shane interrupts. Leave it to him to come up with something hilarious and convoluted.

“No, of course not, they’re kids! Apparently they were just really strong.” Ryan lets out a wheeze because that mental image is too funny.

“Yeah, but there’s a difference between strong and superhuman. I’m imagining Arnold Schwarzenegger but like, with the face of a seven year old,” Shane says. He makes himself laugh so hard he’s doubled over, and Ryan just pats his back until he gets his breathing in order. He’s laughing too, but he’s doing a better job at controlling himself than Shane is. Maybe it’s the exhaustion that’s seeping into his bones, or maybe it’s because he really just wants to get the hell out of there.  
“One night, just as school was leaving for winter break, this one kid, Jakob, apparently kills three kids during lunch. There were no witnesses, but somehow, he was described as being ‘ferocious, physically imposing, and demented,” Ryan continues.

“He killed kids during lunch? And no one said anything? All of their classmates are just like, nonchalantly eating their pudding cups while a murder is going on?” Shane asks. He knows that their back and forth makes Ryan feel less scared, but really, this is an honest question.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either,” Ryan says, shrugging.

“I can’t believe noone reported him! Damn, those students really were ride or die,” Shane remarks.

Ryan lets out another wheeze. “They may have taken that phrase too literally, considering there was more than just this incident on the campus.”

They eventually cut the banter and start exploring. It’s really dark, almost oppressively so, and the two ghost hunters tread carefully into the school, mindful of how the temperature seems to be dropping with every step. The cafeteria is the first building they enter as it’s across from the classroom the two were just in, and it’s completely dilapidated. There’s a huge stain, right in the middle of the floor. Shane puts his flashlight over it, and Brent makes sure to get a good angle.

“This is where they died, then, yeah?” Shane asks. Ryan nods. He gets out his EMF recorder and puts it on top of the stain before Shane gets the idea to sit on it.

“Demons, if you’re there, we have pudding! Come on, who doesn’t love a nice bowl of chocolatey goodness?” Ryan half wishes that Shane would stop provoking these otherworldly creatures, but no matter how many times Ryan tells him to stop, Shane still does it. It’s infuriating, but Ryan ignores it in favor of watching the EMF recorder very closely. It doesn’t move, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees something shadowy that makes him yell.

“What’s up, what happened?” Shane asks, laughing.

“I thought I saw something run past me!” Ryan exclaims. Although the shadowy something was moving too fast to be identified, he swears it was in the shape of a child.

“It was probably a rat or something. This place is old and decaying,” Shane says, ever the logical one.

“I don’t think it was a rat, Shane.”

“Right, it must’ve been one of the boys who was killed here a long time ago. Maybe if you give him some pudding, he’ll go away,” Shane says. He turns his back to Ryan to examine some scratches on the wall, and Ryan just shakes his head and picks up the EMF recorder. Brent stops filming, however.

“Guys, look, you’re going a great job, but try to act more like a couple, okay? Remember, this is for the views.” Brent gives them both a thumbs up and resumes filming.

Instead of immediately acting on Brent’s wishes, though, the two men just make it more of a point to stand closer together. This is good, apparently, because Brent stops filming again to comment on the fact that the YouTube commenters will eat up their height difference.

Once they begin rolling again, it’s obvious that both boys are making an effort to act more couple-y because when Ryan gets scared examining the old food service counter, he jumps and reaches blindly for Shane, who meets him in the middle. They kind of awkwardly miss each other’s hands, though, but Shane does a good job of calming Ryan down regardless.

“Hey, it’s okay, you probably just saw a cockroach or something.”

As they delve deeper into the campus, Ryan starts unfolding the case a little more.

“So apparently, Jakob was never seen from again. Some people say his body was dragged down to hell by the same demon that possessed him.”

“What do demons want with little boys?” Shane asks.

“I dunno, maybe they were looking for something to possess so that they can have an easier time roaming the Earth?”

“Well, I hope we don’t see demon Jakob walking about tonight, because we’re sleeping here,” Shane says.

“Don’t say that!” Ryan exclaims. The thought of seeing a demon freaks him out, but hey, at least he’ll have his proof, right?

They get to work putting their sleeping bags down, but they make sure to put them closer together than they normally would have. Brent and the rest of the crew leave to get some more shots of the school before eventually going to their hotel, leaving Ryan and Shane alone in the spooky school.

“Shane?” Ryan asks, diving deeper into the covers of his sleeping bag. Outside, the wind is strong enough to rattle the windows, and Ryan would be lying if he said it didn’t freak him out. He purposefully tries not to look through them because of his fear of seeing a face, but the rattling is making it hard for Ryan to fall asleep. At least there’s a logical reason behind those noises, though, but Ryan won’t discount ghosts and demons just yet.

Shane eventually makes a noise to signal that he’s listening, even though Ryan can tell he’s almost asleep.

“Can I scoot closer? The wind is really freaking me out.”

“Sure,” Shane says, throwing an arm around the smaller man. “Now go to sleep.”

“Okay. Goodnight Shane,” Ryan says. He feels a little better about sleeping now that he has something to hold onto if he gets scared.

“G’night Ryan, goodnight Jakob,” Shane says. Ryan lets out a little squeak.

* * *

When the episode drops, Brent could not be happier. “Everyone is noticing how close you two have gotten! We’re up by 500,000 views and the episode hasn’t even been out for half an hour!”

“Wow, we must’ve been really convincing, then,” Ryan says, a little confused. It’s not like they were obviously showing affection to one another, but he could see how their interactions could be misconstrued into something they’re not.

“Yeah, which is why I want you to reveal your ‘relationship’ during the post-mortem episode,” Brent says.

“Uh, okay? How would we go about doing that?” Ryan asks. It would be weird to, after three seasons, just come right out and “confirm” what a majority of the viewers already suspected. Ryan, especially, was worried that people would think that Unsolved was disingenuous, and that they’re only doing this for the views. Which they are, but it would be nice if the fans didn’t actually think that, because that’s not how Unsolved wants to represent itself. Ryan’s always prided himself on being an honest guy, so this entire situation makes him feel pretty guilty, and he doesn’t want the fans to come after him because of it.

“Easy. Just say, ‘This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved Post-Mortem, we’re here to answer your questions about the Crossroads Conservatory. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a special announcement’ and then we can just come right out and say it,” Shane says. Ryan admires how upfront and logical he is, even though he knows the taller man is making fun of him.

“Yeah, sure, they’ll totally believe that,” Ryan says with an eyeroll. No one says anything in response though, so he presses on. “I don’t know man, it seems kind of sudden and out of the blue. I’m not sure I would believe it if I was a viewer.”

“Well, you could start by acting really cute in the Post-Mortem episode. Like, sit closer together, initiate a lot more physical contact, make each other laugh, y’know, what you normally do,” Brent says sarcastically. If they would just get the hint, his job would be over but no, both of these boys really were bone dead obvious.

“Hm. Maybe we could address it in a fan question? I’m sure tons of people are tweeting us with regards to our ‘relationship,’” Shane says, exaggerating the air quotes.

“That’s a great idea. I’ll pull up a tweet right now and send it to you, Ryan,” Brent says.

They start filming the Post-Mortem episode, and this time, there are a lot of cutesy animations. Even though it’s going to be hell to animate later, Ryan indulges Shane for once; there’s both Shane and Ryan in Ghostbusters outfits, Brent the Cameraman shaking his head at their antics, and there’s even a spooky ghost child that chases the animated Shane and Ryan off screen. It’s pretty funny, but Ryan is second guessing keeping all of the animations. Maybe Shane would let him get away with only putting in a couple of them.

“First question, from iluvspooks88 on Twitter: ‘Ryan, that voice you heard at 12:45 sounded suspiciously like a child’s voice if you ask me. What are your thoughts on the matter?’” Shane reads aloud.

“Well, I like to think it belongs to the disembodied voice of Jakob,” Ryan says once he and Shane review that specific audio clip.

“Oh come on, Ryan, it’s clearly the wind,” Shane counters. Ryan just shakes his head.

“You say that every time, and every time someone else thinks they hear the same thing that I do. Maybe you’re the one that’s making it all up?” Ryan asks. Behind the camera, Brent is grinning.

“Yeah, sure, I’m totally making up the sounds of the wind. I’m making up gravity too, right? Isaac Newton was a fraud, space doesn’t exist, and the Earth is flat!” Shane says, getting louder with each outlandish statement. He and Ryan both dissolve into laughter.

“Alright, next question, this time from the Buzzfeed Unsolved Facebook page: ‘Shane, can you or one of your #Shaniacs explain to me how the hell an entire school let a kid get away with murder? Cuz it doesn’t seem likely that the authorities would let that fly. I’m not saying it was ghosts/demons persuading the kids to keep quiet, but that’s exactly what I’m saying.’”

Ryan has to laugh at this; he’s been wondering the same thing and there’s absolutely no way that this can be explained using logic. After all, it seems so much more likely that demons were behind it, especially because of the lack of evidence that Ryan was able to dig up on this particular school. He knows that Shane has done next to no research on this case, so really, he and his Rynosaurs have this in the bag.

“I don’t think it was ghosts or demons. I think it was little kids who were too scared to snitch on their classmate because they didn’t want to be next, simple as that.” Shane will always stick up for his Shaniacs, which warms a small part of Ryan’s heart. Not that he would ever admit that, of course. Nor would he ever admit just how much Shane is growing on him, how nice Shane’s eyes are behind his glasses, or the way that Shane’s hair looks so fluffy all the time, or how he’s instantly comforted by how Shane subtly cares for him. He only realizes that he’s been staring for a little too long when Shane nudges him a little, and Ryan tears his gaze away from his friend. Behind the camera, Brent is having a field day. He keeps giving them subtle cues and thumbs ups. It’s kind of funny, really, how much Brent encourages them.

“Alright, next question. From Instagram this time, @themarrist wants to know, ‘Ryan, what’s your skincare routine?’” This question makes both boys laugh, just because it’s so out of the ordinary and totally irrelevant.

“Oh you know, just some good old fashioned soap, right into the pores. Sometimes, I’ll do a face mask. Y’know, the usual.”

“Is that really it? You have such nice skin,” Shane says. Ryan just laughs. Who compliments someone else on their skin? Ryan would be lying if he said he wasn’t flattered, though.

“Alright, last question. From @shyan4evr on Twitter: ‘are u guys together???? u seem awfully close for ~friends~ lol #skepticbeliever.’”

Shane and Ryan look at each other for a brief moment, as if waiting for the other to make the announcement.

 _Fuck it,_ Ryan thinks, grabbing Shane’s hand suddenly. He laces their fingers together.

“You guessed it. Shane and I have been together since we started Unsolved, it’s pretty much our baby,” he says. He feels so, so weird, lying to all the viewers, but his heart skips a beat when Shane starts rubbing his thumb.

“Yep! Is our ship name Shyan? What about Rane? I think I like Shyan better. What do you think, Ryan?” Shane asks. He stops looking into the camera to look at Ryan, who looks at him back as if seriously pondering the question.

“You know, I think that twitter user was onto something with the hashtag skepticbeliever. I like that a lot, really,” Ryan says. He brings their interlocked hands up to his mouth and places a kiss on Shane’s hand. Shane just gives him a small smile, eyes downcast. There’s a blush on his cheeks as well, and Ryan can’t help but silently compliment Shane's acting skills.  
“Alright, stay tuned for the next episode of Unsolved, everyone. We explore a case that’s truly gruesome. You’re in for a real treat.”

The cameras cut, and Brent starts clapping. “Very good,” he says, ecstatic. “You guys sold it, I’m really impressed.”

Ryan still feels really bad lying to the viewers, but not as bad as he feels when Shane lets go of his hand.

* * *

 

The viewers absolutely lose it.

 **MysteriousBroadcast:** omg shyan is real!!! i knew it all along lol #wewereright #skepticbeliever #shyan4ever #otp

 **Lizino_Sidney:** Look, guys, I know they confirmed it in this video, but it’s extremely rude to ship real people. Think about how creeped out they must feel, especially with the fanfics that are going around. Stop bombarding their social media and let them rest!! And don’t be disrespectful just because of a ship. Jesus, guys, calm down. Let them live.

 **spoopyspoo:** omg i cant believe they had to announce they were together???? as if we didn’t already know that before??? anyways can’t believe its real lol

 **inthecage:** Fake. They’re obviously doing this for the views. Wow, Buzzfeed really has run out of ideas. Thanks for nothing, lmao. #unsub #fake #boycottunsolved

Not a single comment is about the content of the video, which Brent is ecstatic about. Ryan, on the other hand, is kind of upset that his “relationship” means more to people than the actual content of the videos. He works so hard on them, and the only thing people care about is whether or not he and Shane are together? His thoughts plague him during the drive home, and by the time he gets back to his apartment, he’s thoroughly annoyed. All of the people involved with research, all of the time, effort, and money spent on producing Unsolved, and no one cares?

He makes himself dinner for once and tries not to let his bitterness come into the forefront of his mind. After all, without the viewers, Unsolved wouldn’t be as successful as it currently is. He’s pretty happy with the number of views their video got, and Brent texts him frequently with an updated number of subscribers that BuzzfeedBlue has. He’s really proud of himself, but he wishes it didn’t have to come at the expense of those watching.

Ryan’s mind wanders to the content of the video. It was pretty informative if you asked him, and besides, he and the research team spent more time than normal gathering their information, as the school they went to wasn’t well known. It seems cheap to have all that work go to waste, but he enjoyed filming it nonetheless.

Or maybe he just liked how affectionate Shane was this time. Maybe Ryan liked how Shane calmed him down when he needed it, and put his arm around Ryan’s chest while they slept. Maybe he liked the way their hands fit together so perfectly, and maybe he liked how sweet it felt when he and Shane fell asleep together.

Ryan shakes himself out of that train of thought. _It’s just for the views_ , he tells himself, and pretends not to be sad about it. 

* * *

 

“Welcome to another episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved. Today, we’re here in a ghost town, exploring the spirits that supposedly haunt the house you see behind us,” Ryan starts. He gestures to the house that he and Shane are currently standing in front of. It’s an old house, one that’s rickety, derelict, and aged.

“You couldn’t get a house like this in LA,” Shane remarks. “You’d have to sell some organs on the black market.”

“Yeah, but good thing realtors don’t sell people haunted houses.” Ryan smiles fondly and shakes his head, playing to the camera.

“They do in the movies! Think about all those people on the big screen who are swayed by the antique furniture, only to discover that their humble abode is filled with spirits! It’s textbook scary movie, Ryan,” Shane says.

“Well, good thing this isn’t a movie,” Ryan retorts. They prepare to go inside, mindful of their physical proximity to one another.

“Open the door, dear,” Ryan says, gesturing to the large wooden door in front of them. It’s half sarcastic and half for the views, and he’s grinning as the nickname slips out of his mouth.

“Of course, babe,” Shane replies, plopping a kiss onto the top of Ryan’s head. His heart flutters but he doesn’t say anything, he just smiles as big as he can. Shane then opens the door and lets Ryan enter first, a hand on the smaller man’s back as encouragement.

“Oh hell no,” Ryan says once they enter. He takes a step back and is pressed flush into Shane’s chest. Over Ryan’s head, Shane can see a doll sitting on the floor, staring at them, unblinking.

“Oh come on, it’s just a doll. It can’t hurt you,” Shane remarks. He nonetheless wraps an arm around Ryan’s waist, which causes him to instantly relax.

“You don’t know that. The Island of the Dolls was scary as fuck,” Ryan replies. He doesn’t want to remember all of the spiders on that creepy island.

Shane laughs. “Yeah, but the dolls didn’t physically attack you.” Shane presses a kiss to Ryan’s temple before letting him go. It’s so natural, and for a moment, Ryan forgets that he and Shane are acting. He’s promptly brought back to reality when Shane picks up the doll and puts it on the couch, though. “See, no harm, no foul.”

Ryan rolls his eyes, but they both take seats on the couch anyway so that Ryan can explain the history of this house. Ryan takes care to sit away from the doll, but as physically close to Shane as possible, without being in the taller man’s lap. Although, that would make the fanbase go crazy, so he briefly considers it, but decides it’s ultimately better if he remains professional.

“So this house was owned by a woman named Monica in the 1720s. Monica was married to this man, Juan, and the two of them tried to conceive a child. Unfortunately, Monica miscarried in 1721, and Juan was furious. Monica ended up hanging herself, whereas Juan left the country, never to return.”

“Wow, that’s morbid,” Shane says. “I can’t believe he just leaves, though. Like, that’s the most ‘I’m guilty’ thing he could’ve possibly done. He might as well have had a sign that said ‘Look at me, I did it!’”

“Right, which is why authorities believe Juan killed Monica and staged the hanging. Unfortunately, Juan was never found, but some say that they can see Monica at night, a bundle in her arms,” Ryan relays. He stares at Shane for a few seconds, unsure of how to proceed. There really isn’t much to explore; the house is small, consisting only of a small kitchen, a bathroom, and the room they are currently sitting in. Under any other circumstances, Ryan would consider this home cozy, but because a possible murder took place here, Ryan thinks the house is anything but.

“What does the doll have to do with anything?” Shane asks, picking up the doll and placing it in his lap. Ryan visibly cringes.

“I’m not sure, but get it away from me. It’s so creepy.”

“Nah, it’s fun! Come on, you know you want to play with her, Ryan,” Shane says, lifting the doll by the arms. He leans into Ryan’s space to hold the doll directly in front of his face.

“I’m good, Shane,” Ryan says, swatting the doll away. He tries to get as far as physically possible from the doll but Shane has long arms and keeps pushing the doll towards him. Ryan closes his eyes and a moment later, Ryan feels Shane’s weight on top of his chest.

“Oops, sorry Ryan,” Shane says, but he makes no move to get up.

“Don’t worry about it, babe,” Ryan says, suddenly remembering their roles. He starts running his fingers through Shane’s hair. Brent breaks out into the biggest grin behind the camera.

“Alright, get off, you’re heavy,” Ryan says after a moment. He makes sure to draw the moment out for the camera, though. Shane reluctantly gets up off of Ryan’s chest, pouting the whole way.

They begin to set up for their overnight stay. Brent and the crew leave, as normal, and Ryan and Shane set up their sleeping bags on the floor. They set up another camera some feet away, though, just to record them throughout the night, in case anything spooky happens. Ryan once again scoots closer to Shane, who just opens his arms for the smaller man. Once they are snuggled and relaxed, Ryan reaches out to turn the camera off, just for a moment. He doesn’t need the audience thinking he’s a big of a baby as he comes off as.

“Shane?” Ryan whispers.

“Hmm?” Shane asks into Ryan’s hair.

“Don’t let go of me.”

More silence. Ryan thinks that Shane had fallen asleep, but he hears a quiet “Sure, Ryan. Now go to sleep before the doll gets you.”

Ryan doesn’t sleep, but it’s not because of the supposed spirits. He can’t stop thinking about how nice it is to be in Shane's arms. It’s interesting, because they don’t have to pretend, not anymore, not when it’s just the two of them and no camera crew. And yet….

Ryan shakes his head and reaches out to turn the camera back on.

* * *

 

Ryan wakes up twice in the middle of the night. The first time he wakes up, he and Shane have separated, but there’s a weight on his chest that is unfamiliar. Blinking wearily, Ryan reaches for his phone to cast some light on whatever it is that woke him up. He screams when he realizes it was the doll.

His screams are enough to wake up Shane, who just cracks open a bleary eye. “What’s up, Ry? Did you have a nightmare?” he asks, turning to face his friend. His voice is tender and thick with sleep, and Ryan’s heart flutters at the sound. He could listen to it for the rest of his life, and it scares him more than he’s willing to admit.

Shane realizes immediately that he broke his promise and let Ryan go. Ryan sees his face fall in the dark, and Ryan’s face falls as well.

“No, this fucking doll fell on me while I was sleeping!” Ryan exclaims. He’s a little bit panicked, but the rational part of his brain tells him that it was just gravity. Shane echoes the same sentiment from his right, but Ryan can’t shake off his nervousness. He throws the doll across the room and dives as far as he can into his sleeping bag, wishing he had more blankets to fend off the spirits, and wishing Shane would hold him again.

The second time Ryan wakes up, it’s because he’s overheating. He wakes up in a sweat that’s uncomfortable and gross, but he doesn’t feel threatened like he first did with the doll because the sudden heat isn’t coming from the weight of plastic - instead, he realizes that Shane somehow gravitated towards him in the night and is now currently half on top of him. Ryan would shove him off, but when he sees the red light of the camera that means they’re still recording, Ryan decides to make the most of it. If they’re going to pretend, then they’re going to be damn good at it. Ryan kisses Shane’s forehead and wraps his arms around his taller friend.

That’s how Brent finds them the next morning, still cuddled up. He takes a picture and posts it to Twitter and Instagram with the caption: “#relationshipgoals”.

* * *

 

The episode once again shatters the entire fanbase. People go absolutely wild over the cuddling and both Ryan’s and Shane’s social media accounts are bombarded with video requests, as if they were lifestyle vloggers. So many people request the boyfriend tag that Ryan seriously considers asking Shane to do it with him, but he knows that neither of them conceivably have time for that, especially with Steven’s upcoming Worth It video, starring the two members of Unsolved (and Adam). The topic of Steven’s video? Three different haunted attractions at three different price points. Why anyone would pay for to get scared is beyond him, but hey, this is technically what he signed up for when he accepted the job to Buzzfeed all those years ago.

It’s interesting how different the dynamic is when the cameras are off. While the crew preps for Worth It, Ryan and Shane find themselves with nothing better to do than talk, because apparently Steven’s car is having issues and they need to not be inside of it until Steven gets it fixed.

“Did you see what Brent posted on Twitter?” Shane asks, already knowing the answer. They’re not even standing close together. Ryan wonders if they’re supposed to be practicing. He looks at Steven, who is still fiddling around with something. Did they have to pretend in front of the whole office?

“Yeah, it was really funny cuz I’m so much smaller than you,” Ryan eventually replies, making sure to emphasize his lack of height. He quite enjoyed being the big spoon, but he would never say that out loud.

“Yeah, I thought it was funny too. Apparently our fans are going crazy over it,” Shane comments, hands in his pockets, as if this is a normal, everyday thing that fans get excited about.

“I bet. I think it’s so funny how so many people believe it’s real. I feel bad for duping them.” He does feel guilty; Unsolved isn’t about the mystery anymore, it’s about the crafted relationship, one that is held together by the barest bits of physical contact and as much PDA as either is comfortable with. It almost makes Ryan feel ashamed for lying to the people who look up to their relationship, and those who don’t have the freedom to express themselves the way he and Shane get to.

“Hey, don’t feel bad about it,” Shane says. He grabs the younger man’s hand and does that thumb thing again, and Ryan, although initially shocked, reciprocates the gesture. “It’s our job, remember?”

Before the two can finish their conversation, Steven comes back. He gives their interlocked hands the briefest of glances before uttering, “Okay, I fixed whatever what wrong. We can go now,” and gesturing towards his vehicle. Shane immediately claims shotgun and lets go of Ryan’s hand.

Ryan feels worse for missing the way Shane’s hand fits in his, knowing that Shane probably doesn’t feel the same way.

* * *

 

“Today on Worth It, we’re trying three different haunted houses at three drastically different price points. I’m joined with the boys from Buzzfeed Unsolved, Shane and Ryan,” Steven starts. “The first haunted house is located in our very own Los Angeles, California. It’s kind of basic in terms of haunted houses.”

“What do you mean basic?” Ryan asks from the backseat. He doesn’t know what he’s getting into which is scary enough in itself. Adam of course, says nothing.

“Y’know, the basics. The people in costumes, the strobe lights, the screaming noises, you name it, it’s all here.”

Ryan and Shane wait patiently as Steven interviews the owner of the first haunted house, and Ryan is all the more grateful for it because it allows him to be familiar with not only the layout of the house, but also the spooks that lie within. It doesn’t sound too bad, but it never hurts to be prepared.

The outside of the house doesn’t look very scary, but then again, neither do the places that they visit in Unsolved. With a slight push from Shane, who does the hand on Ryan’s back thing _again_ , the trio enter the haunted house.

It’s nothing at all like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, much to Ryan’s chagrin. As they first enter, the strobe lights spook him a bit, but he knows he’s not in any real danger. No one had to sign any waivers at the start, and that makes Ryan feel a little braver. That is, until from out of nowhere, something tries to grab at his leg. He yells and jumps backwards into Shane, who just laughs, especially once Ryan tries to kick the thing back. He misses, of course, because whatever tried to grab at him has since retreated.

There isn’t really any room to talk, just because it’s so loud with the scary music and sounds, so they continue onwards. There seems to be something spooky at every turn, and every time something unexpectedly jumps out at Ryan, Ryan always freaks out. It’s kind of funny, actually, considering neither Shane nor Steven seem to get scared.

“So, what did you think about that one?” Steven asks once they’re all packed in the car, driving towards the next destination.

“If Ryan got that scared at the least scary haunted house, I wonder how scared he’s gonna be for the most terrifying one,” Shane comments.

“I can’t believe neither of you got scared!” Ryan exclaims, crossing his arms. It’s ridiculous, really, how Shane and Steven seem to have nerves of steel.

“There really wasn’t much to be scared of, babe,” Shane responds. Oh yeah, the cameras were still on.

“I second that,” Steven says. He then relays a pretty hilarious haunted house fact, which has everyone in the car laughing.

“Alright, the second place is located just outside of Orange County,” Steven says. They meet with the owner to interview again, and this time, Ryan is considerably more scared, especially because the outside of the attraction looks more stereotypically frightening.

“Wait, so this haunted house actually has CGI?” Steven asks. That’s one of the most interesting uses of CGI that Ryan can think of, but then again, he doesn’t make it a habit to frequent haunted attractions very much anyway.

“Yeah, absolutely,” the owner replies. “That’s what makes the attraction so scary.”

This time, Ryan makes Shane go first. The CGI is really good at making believable, gory images of limbs missing the body they belong to. The blood is remarkably real, and Ryan feels a shiver go down his spine as he steps in it. Even though it’s technically a computer created image, he can still feel its stickiness.

As disturbing as the house is, it doesn't make Ryan jump. The people in costumes do, though, and this time, even Steven jumps at some of the actors who pop out of nowhere. They make their way throughout the house, Ryan getting scared at random images, but instead of getting physical, like the last haunted house, this one relies on purely visual stimulation, which is what makes it impressive (and more scary). The creepiest part is the ending, where Ryan gets scared by a CGI mummy that is brandishing a knife at him. Ryan instinctively grabs onto Shane's arm and the taller man just smiles at his smaller counterpart. “It’s not that scary, Ry,” he informs his friend, but he nevertheless threads their hands together, if only to make Ryan feel less afraid. It helps more than Ryan is willing to admit.

“Alright, so what did you think of that haunted house?” Steven asks, once they’re back in the car.

“That one was considerably scarier than the first one,” Ryan admits.

“Come on, Ryan, these houses are nothing like the places we’ve been to for Unsolved,” Shane says.

“Yeah, but those places are actually haunted. I’m expecting to get scared when we travel for Unsolved, but with places like these, it’s easier to get scared because everything is practically happening all at once.”

“Shouldn’t that make it less scary, Ryan?” Steven asks.

“No, because it’s hard for me to tell when something is coming,” Ryan retorts back. Steven relays another haunted house fact and sooner than Ryan would have liked, they’re at their third and final location for the night. They actually have to sign a waiver for this one, because of the danger, which puts Ryan on edge.

“Alright boys, this is the last one. Don’t pee yourself, Ryan,” Steven says. Ryan flips him off.

The last attraction is an absolute nightmare for Ryan, because it includes all of his biggest fears. There is a child in the first room that stares at him unblinkingly. At first, Ryan doesn’t feel threatened, but when the kid starts chasing him, Ryan gets scared and starts running. He slows to a stop once the kid stops pursuing him so that Steven and Shane can catch up to him. His heart's already pounding in his ears, and the pathway of the house leads them to an entirely pitch black section. Ryan’s eyes barely get to adjust before he feels the sensation of someone breathing on him. He turns in the dark, scared and ready to investigate the source of the breathing, but then he’s assaulted with the feeling of someone running their fingers down his spine. He shivers and turns around again, trying to get away from all the movement. Unfortunately, this leads him to a spot in the darkness where all he can hear whispering, and he can feel hundreds of hands trying to pull him different directions. Ryan is scared out of his mind, but once he feels an arm around his waist, he calms down a bit, knowing it belongs to Shane. He feels his friend guide him through the dark part of the attraction, and pretty soon, they can see again. It’s not like they can see much with the strobe lights flickering, though, but it’s better than the all encompassing pitch blackness they were just in. That’s when Ryan’s worst fear comes into play; he sees a face in one of the windows and just about loses it. He’s never had a panic attack before, but this must be what it feels like because he can’t breathe, he can’t call for help, and he can feel himself shaking.

“Hey,” Shane whispers to him. “Are you alright?” He crouches down to where Ryan is because the younger man has fallen to his knees out of fear.

Ryan doesn’t say anything for the longest time, and both Shane and Steven are worried for him.  
“Just focus on my breathing, Ryan,” Shane says, rubbing circles onto his back. Ryan tries to concentrate on the in and out of Shane's breath, but he’s having trouble focusing due to the overstimulation he’s experienced. Visiting three haunted houses in the span of a few hours is not good for his blood pressure.

“Hey, don’t worry, we’re almost out of here, alright?” Shane says. Ryan has never heard his voice that soft before, not even when they were in that creepy house for Unsolved. Shane takes Ryan into his arms and just holds him for a minute. Ryan buries his head in Shane's neck and tries his best to time his breathing with Shane's. It works enough for him to calm down, and Shane practically carries Ryan the rest of the way through.

Once they’re safely in the car, Shane drapes his jacket over Ryan’s shoulders and makes sure that the younger man has some water. Ryan is touched by this display and thanks Shane by squeezing his hand.

“What’s your Worth It Winner, Shane?” Steven asks once everyone has had a moment to calm down. Shane refuses to sit shotgun and instead spends the entire trip home with Ryan's head in the crook of his shoulder and neck.

“My Worth It Winner definitely has to be the last house we visited. It was by far the best in terms of consistency, the amount of variation in the different parts of the maze, and the overall spookiness of the house,” Shane answers.

“Ryan, what about you?” Steven asks.

“I didn’t like any of them,” Ryan says. He takes a sip of water.

“Yeah, but if you had to choose,” Steven says, because that’s the whole point of the series and besides, Ryan’s opinion is probably going to mean the most to the viewers.

“In terms of the scariest, the last one absolutely takes the cake. I promise I’m not that big of a crybaby in person,” Ryan says.

“He actually is,” Shane tells the camera. Ryan ignores him.

“But for the overall best experience, I would probably say the one in Orange County, just because the use of the CGI really impressed me.”

“As much as I appreciated the technical capabilities of that house, I’m gonna have to say my Worth It Winner was the last one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so scared, Ryan, not even in Unsolved,” Steven says.

“To be fair, my biggest fear is seeing a face in a window, and that actually happened tonight.” Ryan tries to defend himself so that he doesn’t look as lame as he thinks he’s coming off to the viewers.

“Ryan, you literally had a panic attack in that house. Steven and I were worried you went into shock. I think it deserves to be your Worth It winner,” Shane says.

“No, a panic attack wasn’t worth the money it takes to get in,” Ryan counters. He’s slightly offended that Shane even suggested that, but he doesn’t have the energy to argue at the moment. All he wants to do is end the episode so that he can fall asleep and lose himself to happier dreams, chocolate eyes, and short brown hair atop a lanky frame. 

* * *

 

Ryan can’t pinpoint the exact moment their fake relationship started to feel real. He thinks it happened somewhere in that haunted house during the Worth It episode, when Shane helped him recover from a panic attack, but he realizes he’s had feelings since before then. Hell, Ryan’s pretty sure his feelings started way before the two started Unsolved together.

Those thoughts hurt, though, because he knows that no matter what, Shane doesn’t feel the same. All of their interactions, all their movements, their arranged conversations, their designed affection, is all for the sake of views. There’s no way that Shane can possibly like him back, not when they’re so different, not when they argue about silly things, and especially when everything is fabricated for the cameras. Ryan, quite frankly, is getting sick and tired of pretending.

Once filming for this season is over, he and Shane will go back to the way things were before Brent’s suggestion. In between prepping for a new season of Unsolved and their individual responsibilities for Buzzfeed, they aren’t going to have time to take this relationship, however inauthentic, any further. Sure, they’ll still sit next to each other at the office, but knowing that they won’t hold hands for months really hurts. Knowing that there’s no chance that their relationship could be real hurts even more, but Ryan’s used to shoving his feelings down as far as they can go. He’s not going to complicate this and ruin things with feelings, not now, not when his heart is on the line, and even though their relationship stops feeling fake, he knows it can’t last forever.

“I need you two to come with me.” The voice of an intern stops Ryan’s pitiful musings, and he’s brought back to Earth rather suddenly. Both Shane and Ryan are confused but they follow her anyway. They end up in one of the many rooms away from the main office, and Ryan can see how the set is perfectly arranged for a video.

“So you two are gonna be in a video called “Couples Get Handcuffed Together for 24 Hours,” someone explains from behind the camera. Ryan’s heart drops. How long are they going to be forced to keep up this charade before Ryan loses his mind?

“We’re supposed to be in a meeting right now,” Shane says. He looks just as exhausted as Ryan feels because they’ve both been stretched so thin with everything they have to get done. It’s also been so taxing to keep up appearances and to constantly be scrutinized by not only their entire fanbase, but by their coworkers too. If only they could just have a moment alone, without any cameras.

“This is your meeting,” someone else says. Ah, they’ve been duped. Wouldn’t be the first time, but a heads up would have been nice.

The cameras are on, though neither looks camera ready, but they forge on because the camera person comes into frame and drops a pair of handcuffs onto the table.

“This is kinky,” Shane says, examining the silver cuffs. Ryan starts wheezing. God, he doesn’t need his brain to start imagining what the sex would theoretically be like if they were together for real.

“I guess we’re really doing this,” Ryan says to the camera, a blush high on his cheeks.

“It’s not as if we already spend every waking moment together anyway,” Shane continues from next to him. Ryan laughs because that statement is way too true. They have been spending a lot of time together recently, but Ryan would like for them to spend time together away from the company, their responsibilities, and all these goddamn cameras.

They each put one of their hands into a cuff, and when Shane actually closes the contraption for both of them, Ryan is scared by the finality of it.

“Are we doing this for real? Like, what are we gonna do about the pooping situation?” Shane asks.

“Or showering?” Ryan adds. They didn’t even get a chance to think this through, but that’s the beauty of Buzzfeed; they’re constantly kept on their toes.

“We have to uncuff for that, right?” Shane says. The camera man shakes his head.

“What do you mean no!” Ryan exclaims. “Give me the key!” Oh boy is this going to be awkward. Again, the cameraman shakes his head.

“It clicks open in case of emergencies,” someone says and Ryan facepalms, bringing Shane's arm with him.

“Hey, be careful!” Shane exclaims.

“We are going to break up over this,” Ryan replies. Maybe that’s what they need. Ryan makes a mental note to run that by Brent once this stupid ass experiment is over with.

“Alright, are we done here?” Shane asks. They get permission to leave. Ryan has never been more grateful that they sit next to each other at the office, because trying to get work done from far away would have been immensely difficult. Their efficiency level decreases, though, because it’s kind of impossible for them to use both of their hands at the same time, even if they position themselves as close as physically possible to one another.

As working gets progressively more difficult, Ryan gets progressively more frustrated. He ends up slamming his laptop closed at the end of the work day because it’s so hard to be his own person when he’s handcuffed to someone he’s maybe in love with.

“You know what would really piss off the editor of this video?” Shane asks, once the two pack themselves up and attempt to get into Ryan’s car.

“If we gave them a five second video of us saying ‘go fuck yourself’ as we take these cuffs off?” Ryan answers. Okay, getting into the car is a predicament, but they figure it out once they realize it’s easier if they both got in from the same side. Once they’re situated, Shane continues.

“No. What if we legitimately gave them twenty four hours of material to work with. Do you know how long it would take to edit?”

“Shane, you’re a genius,” Ryan says. He starts recording.

The drive home isn’t really anything special, save for the fact that Shane's hand is just kind of hanging there while Ryan manages the steering wheel. Ryan laughs because it’s so ridiculous, but Shane isn’t even paying attention as most of his attention is focused on texting one handed.

Getting out of the car is significantly easier than getting into the car was, and the two enter Ryan’s apartment.

“Wow, this is nice,” Shane says, looking around. He’s never been over before. Was that an assumption that the audience would make?

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Ryan asks, moving further into the apartment. He drops his keys on the coffee table and puts the camera down.

“Well, I dunno, I kind of expected you to have like, protections and ghost hunting materials all over the place,” Shane says. Ryan wheezes. He can’t possibly be serious, right?

“Just because I believe in ghosts doesn’t mean that I have to cover my entire apartment in ghost hunting paraphernalia,” Ryan says.

“You could’ve fooled me,” Shane replies. The two get settled, and this is easy even though Shane is wholly unprepared for the impromptu sleepover. He and Ryan eventually find themselves in Ryan’s kitchen, arguing over what to make for dinner.

“What do you mean you don’t like vegetables?” Shane asks, standing in front of Ryan’s open refrigerator.

“It’s not that I don’t like vegetables, it’s that I never learned how to cook them!” Ryan defends. There’s something to be said about well cooked veggies, but Ryan’s never been a whiz in the kitchen.

“Guess you’ll learn today.” Shane starts pulling random ingredients out of Ryan’s fridge and assembles them on the counter top.

“I didn’t know you can cook,” Ryan asks. Damn, could his friend get any more attractive?

“Well, you can’t live off of ramen forever,” Shane says. “Here, start cutting this up for me.” Shane hands Ryan various items that need slicing, and Ryan actually forgets that they’re handcuffed and recording for a second. Cooking together feels oddly domestic and Ryan’s heart clenches in the most painful way.

“Taste this for me, will you?” Shane asks, lifting a spoon to Ryan’s mouth. The younger opens and tastes flavors he’s never experienced before.

“Damn, that’s really good! What is it?” Ryan asks.

Shane winks. “A secret family recipe.”

The dish is in the oven, and they have some time to kill. Because they’re handcuffed, it’s hard for them to actually do anything, so they end up just sitting at the kitchen island, waiting for their food to be done.

“So who taught you how to cook?” Ryan asks, leaning on the hand that isn’t cuffed.

“My mom, actually. She said it’s a good skill to have once I started living on my own. And she always told me that men who could cook were pretty attractive,” Shane says.

“Your mom was right,” Ryan replies. He grins when Shane blushes.

“Glad you think so, babe,” Shane says, kissing Ryan on the nose. Ryan playfully bats him away. God, how he wishes this was real.

Unfortunately, the two are interrupted by the timer beeping, and Shane carefully takes the dish out of the oven.

They actually end up eating the meal almost in silence, save for Ryan complementing Shane's cooking every so often. Ryan is too tired to do the dishes so he sticks them into the dishwasher and tugs Shane along to his bedroom.

“Ah, so this is where the magic happens,” Shane says, winking at the camera. Ryan rolls his eyes.

“What magic?”

“Don’t say that like the sex isn’t good, Ry,” Shane counters, and it’s Ryan’s turn to blush.

“Turn the camera off,” he says, thoroughly embarrassed.

“Yes sir,” Shane replies, but he just sets it down on Ryan’s bedside table.

“Are we gonna uncuff to get ready for bed, or are we really gonna do this?” Ryan asks.

“Let’s uncuff. I gotta pee really bad,” Shane says in response, making his way to the bathroom.

“Uh, Ry? I didn’t bring pajamas,” Shane says after a moment, stepping out of the bathroom. Usually, both men are okay with sleeping in their clothes when they have to film for Unsolved, but Shane would rather not get Ryan’s bed dirty if he can help it.

“Here, I think this will fit you,” Ryan says, tossing Shane a slightly oversized t-shirt and sweats.

“Thanks,” Shane says, disappearing into the bathroom again.

When he steps out of the bathroom for a second time, Ryan isn’t able to stop laughing. He grabs the camera, needing to document this.

“I gave him some of my old clothes to wear and they don’t fit! Look at how ridiculous he looks!” Ryan says through a wheeze. He’s nearly in tears at how much of Shane's torso is exposed, and how the sweats don’t cover much of Shane's leg at all.

“Shut up, shorty!” Shane replies, embarrassed.

“You look so stupid.” Ryan is laughing so hard he’s gasping for air.

“Would you prefer me without any clothes on?” Shane asks when Ryan calms down a bit. He has to dodge the pillow Ryan throws at him.

“I’d prefer it if you go to sleep,” he says.

“Are we sleeping in cuffs?” Shane asks. Ryan nods.

“I think we better.” They put the cuffs on again and get into bed, Ryan still thoroughly amused at Shane's outfit.

It’s surprisingly not that hard for either of them to find a comfortable sleeping position. They’re both used to cuddling up for Unsolved, so that’s what they do now. Ryan’s head is tucked into the space between Shane's neck and shoulder, and Shane has his arms locked around Ryan in a way that accommodates their cuffs.

“Goodnight,” Shane whispers to Ryan. Ryan turns his head at the exact same time that Shane does, and they’re inches apart. Ryan’s heart races as he echoes the sentiment.

Knowing full well that he could ruin this, Ryan leans in and kisses Shane on the lips. It’s nice and Shane's lips are warm and he loses himself in the sensation.

Shane pulls back, however.

“Don’t do this to me,” he says, pulling away from Ryan almost entirely.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, I should’ve asked you first,” Ryan says, panicking. He’s truly apologetic, and when Shane sits up, he’s forced to as well.

“Don’t kiss me if you don’t mean it,” Shane says. Ryan can tell he’s angry by the way Shane won’t look at him and how he raises his voice.

“What do you mean?” Ryan asks, heartbroken. Shane gestures to the camera, still on the bedside table, and Ryan feels like he’s going to cry.

“That’s not - I didn’t do it for the audience, Shane!” Ryan exclaims.

“Sure you didn’t,” Shane says. Ryan has never been more pissed at Shane's skepticism.

“I get it,” Shane continues. Ryan doesn’t say anything. What is there to say? If Shane doesn’t like him back then there’s nothing Ryan can do about it. The sooner they get past this the better. “This doesn’t mean anything to you. You’re an actor, this is what we do,” Shane says. Of course he has to rationalize it. Of course he can’t just take Ryan’s feelings as they are. Of fucking course he can’t believe that Ryan has feelings for him that are genuine.

“I’m in love with you,” Ryan says, desperate. He can feel the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, and by the time he lifts his head up to meet Shane's eyes, the other man has already uncuffed them.

“No, you’re in love with the views.” The tears come full force now, and Ryan can’t stop himself from shouting at Shane.

“How can you say that?” Ryan yells. “How can you completely dismiss my feelings like that?” He gets up off of the bed and comes around to stand directly in front of Shane. “I don’t care about the cameras. I don’t care about the views. I care about you, Shane. I have for a while now.” Ryan hopes he doesn’t sound as pathetic as he feels.

Shane just shakes his head.

“As much as I want to believe that, I can’t. Not when we’re doing this whole ‘fake relationship’ thing. Not when you haven’t given me any proof when the cameras are off.”

“What do you want me to do?” Ryan asks. “Profess my love for you in front of the whole office? Shout it from the rooftops? Destroy every camera within a fifty mile radius?” He’s nearly pleading at this point.

“I can’t keep pretending to be in love with you,” Shane says. He too sounds heartbroken. He’s staring at the ground, not at Ryan, and his makes the younger man even more pissed off.

“So don’t pretend, then,” Ryan says. He stubbornly wipes away the tears that are streaming down his face now.

“I have to go,” Shane says. He grabs his belongings and leaves Ryan’s bedroom. Ryan doesn’t follow him. He sits on his bed, devastated. Not only did he ruin the possibility of a relationship, but he also ruined a friendship. Why did he have to kiss the most important person in his life and mess everything up?

Ryan hears the his door shut and he curls up in bed, pulling the blankets over his head as he cries. He slaps the camera to the floor, wishing he never said yes to Brent’s suggestion.

* * *

 

“It’s so good to finally get out of these handcuffs,” Ryan remarks. He and Shane are finishing up their video, and it’s so easy to pretend that nothing happened last night when the artificial lights are shining right into his eyes.

“It actually sucked a lot more than we thought it would,” Shane says. Ryan nods in agreement. “There was this moment where we actually got into a big fight and we had to learn to talk it out because we were handcuffed to each other and physically could not leave one another’s presence.”

“Yeah, it was so eye opening,” Ryan continues. They can’t even look at each other. “It’s so easy to just get up and leave after an argument, but we were forced to get over it and actually address the problem.”

“So if you’re having relationship issues and don’t wanna invest in couple’s counseling, do this,” Shane says. Ryan laughs, but it’s artificial and hollow sounding.

“No, don’t do this, you might actually break up,” Ryan says.

“We almost did. Thank goodness for patience and communication,” Shane says with a wink at the camera.

“Would you do this again?” One of the people on set asks.

“No, absolutely not. We literally almost ended up hating each other,” Ryan answers. It hurts how truthful that statement is.

“I dunno, I wouldn’t want to be handcuffed to anyone else,” Shane says. Ryan resists the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he gives the camera his biggest smile.

“I feel the same way, love,” he says, like this doesn’t break his heart all over again.

“Kiss for the camera,” someone else whispers, and Ryan panics, the smile slipping off his face. Shane just turns to him and gives him the slightest peck on the lips.

“Alright, I’m done here,” Shane says, getting up from his chair. Ryan does the same thing, and he pretends not to notice the camera crew’s faces when he and Shane leave through different doors.

* * *

 

“This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we’re exploring an abandoned barn rumoured to be haunted,” Ryan says, without any of his usual gusto. He and Shane are sitting farther apart, something Brent notices, although Ryan chooses to ignore Brent’s hand gestures that cue them to scoot closer.

“Are we hunting for ghost cows?” Shane asks.

“Let me tell the story!” Ryan admonishes. “Okay, so back during the Dust Bowl, people left their farms all the time to go to California. However, this family in particular didn’t leave because of the Dust Bowl, they left because the barn is haunted. Over three hundred people have died in this barn and some say it’s because of ghosts.”

“I think it’s because of the shitty construction,” Shane says, looking up at the ceiling. Bits and pieces of the roof seem to be falling off and there’s this huge chunk missing near the left that is letting in rain.

“Shut up!” Ryan says, but he doesn’t mean it. However, he can’t bring himself to look at his co-host right now, not when his wounds are still fresh and he’s still so heartbroken. “As I was saying, over three hundred people have died in this barn in various ways. One man died of a heart attack, a child died from scarlet fever, and a young woman killed herself in the room we’re sitting in. However, some say this is due to ghosts because before each death, it is reported that each person was seen talking to someone who wasn’t there.”

Shane doesn’t have a comment to disprove Ryan’s theory this time. Instead, the two ghost hunters start exploring the barn. There isn’t much to it, but it gives off an eerie feeling that Ryan doesn’t like. He shines his light on some hay and then cringes when he sees spiders.

He and Shane are at opposite ends of the barn and Brent gives him a Look that plainly says, ‘Fix this.’’ His shipper heart is bleeding and Ryan can’t help but to roll his eyes. He shakes his head the barest amount so that the audience won’t think anything of it, but then he hears a crash to his right and his world stops spinning.

“Shane!” Ryan yells, running over toward the taller man who is on the floor. Brent is hot on his heels.

When Ryan gets there, he drops all of his equipment in favor of putting Shane's head in his lap. “Don’t worry, you’re gonna be okay,” Ryan says, more for himself than for Shane, whose eyes are barely open. Ryan notices that Shane's head is bleeding, and he doesn’t understand how that possibly could have happened until he sees some more of the roof inches away from Shane. Next to him, Brent is calling for the paramedics, and the camera crew starts to come over.

“What happened?” someone asks, and Ryan can’t answer because he’s crying so hard he can barely see. _Please hold on, please don’t die you asshole, there are so many things I haven’t gotten to say to you yet,_ Ryan thinks. _Oh my god, this is all my fault. I’m so sorry Shane, I knew I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess._

Ryan doesn’t realize that he’s been babbling until Brent tugs him away from his friend.

“No!” Ryan says, trying to get back to Shane, but Brent just picks him up and takes him outside, away from the barn and the prying eyes, and especially away from the paramedics who have just arrived.

“I love him,” Ryan says when Brent sits Ryan down outside. He curls into himself, trying to make himself as small as possible. He doesn’t care about the rain, he doesn’t care about the hundreds of dollars of equipment that is getting ruined in the barn, he doesn’t even care about Brent right now.

“I know,” Brent says. Ryan doesn’t look at him, his gaze firmly attached to his shoes. He hates how useless he’s being right now.

“Why did I ever think he could love me back? I let myself believe that this fake relationship meant more than it does.” Brent takes a seat next to Ryan.

“What if I told you that he loves you more than even he’s willing to admit?” Brent says softly. Ryan laughs hollowly.

“That’s bullshit.” The statement comes out more aggressive than he intends, but Brent just scoots closer to him, trying to shield them from the rain. Finally, Ryan turns to his friend. Maybe letting out his feelings will be good for once. “When we were doing the handcuff challenge, I forgot that the cameras were on. I kissed him and he pushed me away. He didn’t accept that my feelings were real, and I ruined our friendship.” Ryan’s bitterness is almost as bad as the weather at this point; it’s pouring way harder than it ever has.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to get hurt?” Brent ventures. Ryan looks at him sideways. “Maybe he feels the same way but is so scared of his feelings that he accidentally broke your heart in the process?” Ryan says nothing, so Brent continues. “After that happened, he showed up at my place. He told me everything. He told me how you kissed him and how excited he was, but how he noticed the camera on the bedside table and remembered how you two were only doing this for the views. He thought he had a chance and that you actually loved him, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually believe it. You know how he is, he has to rationalize everything.” Ryan nods. Wait, Shane was actually excited about the kiss?

“He realized the made a mistake by leaving you, but there was nothing he could do at that point. It was rough, seeing him like that. I honestly thought he lost his mind.” Brent pauses but Ryan makes sure to hang onto every word. “He loves you, Ryan. He just wants to make sure that you love him because you love him, not because of some stupid challenge I made you guys do. Sorry for that, by the way.”

Ryan laughs, and it’s no longer hollow. “It’s okay. I guess it was about time, y’know?” He turns back to the barn as if about to leave, but Brent stops him.

“Let the paramedics do their jobs. He’s gonna be okay, Ryan.” _God, I hope so_ , Ryan thinks.

* * *

 

  
It’s late by the time that Ryan is finally let into Shane's hospital room. The walls are white, pristine, and his shoes squeak on the immaculately polished floors. Ryan hates it.

Shane is asleep in his hospital bed, hooked up to many machines that keep track of his vitals. Ryan sits in the chair that is next to the bed and grabs Shane's hand with both of his.

“I’m so sorry,” he starts. He doesn’t think it’s possible for him to cry anymore, but lo and behold, the tears start coming. “I’m such an idiot. We should’ve never have gone into that barn without any safety regulations put in place. I can’t believe I got you into this mess.” It’s still raining outside, and Ryan can hear the pitter patter of the droplets on the roof.

“I meant what I said, you know. I’m in love with you. Brent told me you’re in love with me too,” he continues. He doesn’t know whether or not Shane can hear him, but he doesn’t care. “I know you don’t believe me, and maybe we can work on it, but I really do love you. I’ve been in love with you since before Unsolved.” He pauses again, this time to take a deep breath. “If you don’t want a relationship with me, I can live with that.” He can’t, but he’s not going to say that out loud. “I just - I need you to know that I’m sorry. I should’ve never agreed to this fake relationship when I had feelings for you.”

With nothing left to say, Ryan shuts up. He just looks at Shane, who is lying in the hospital bed, motionless. One of Ryan’s hands finds its way to Shane's hair. He runs his fingers through it, lost in thought.

“Boo,” Shane says quietly, leaning into Ryan’s touch. Ryan jumps.

“Hi, Shane,” he says, elated. “I’m glad you’re still alive.”

“Thanks. I am too.” Ryan helps him sit up in his hospital bed. “I heard everything you said, y’know,” Shane says once he gets comfy.

Ryan doesn’t look at him.

“Hey, that’s not a bad thing,” Shane says, tucking his finger underneath Ryan’s chin so that the smaller man looks at him. “For the record, I love you too. Sorry I’ve been such an idiot about it.”

Ryan just crushes their lips together.

“No more of this fake relationship shit,” Ryan says, pulling away from the kiss. He rests his forehead on Shane's. “No more cameras, no more views.”

“No more Unsolved?” Shane asks. He seems really upset about the idea, and Ryan’s heart plummets at Shane's suggestion.

“No, we can’t do that. Unsolved is our baby,” Ryan says, biting his lip.

“Unsolved Bergara-Madej is a great name,” Shane replies, breaking out into a grin.

“Shut up,” Ryan says, kissing him again.

* * *

They don’t ever tell the viewers about their fake relationship. Instead, they focus on their off camera relationship, and both of them seem happier for it. They’re a lot more physically comfortable with each other, especially now that they’re on the same page, and Ryan has never been happier in his life. He has a job he loves, a man he loves, and a popular web series that is about to make it’s way into television. He couldn’t be more proud of himself.

Neither can Brent, apparently, as he snaps a picture of them cuddling in the office after everyone else has left. “@ryansbergara @shalexandej: you’re welcome.”


End file.
